Headlines

Posted in Trillium Brewing, Headlines

Trillium Brewing to open taproom near Fenway, move production facility

Massachusetts based Trillium Brewing has announced a new build in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. Trillium Fenway will be a year-round, indoor/outdoor taproom.

The 1,500 square foot, greenhouse inspired design will be found on the front lawn of 401 Park, a mixed-use office and retail renovation the historic building. Studio Troika has been tapped for the design, touted to “blur the lines between outdoor beer garden and cozy indoor taproom”. Trillium Fenway will offer draft beer, cans, and bottles to-go. Food can be purchased from nearby Time Out Market.

The brewery has not shared a grand opening date.

Additionally, Trillium will be moving its production facility to a new building in Canton. Currently, the brewery is running their brewing, barrel-aging, quality control lab, office, and warehouse out of four different buildings.

Over next few years, Trillium will be slowly building out their “forever home” at a new site across town in Canton, featuring an expanded taproom, full-service restaurant, larger production facility, and event space. The move will take a time to complete according to the brewery.

Trillium was opened by JC and Esther Tetreault, a self-described “dumb couple in love” in the Fort Point neighborhood of South Boston in 2013.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines

These are the 50 fastest growing craft breweries in America

The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade organization that represents the craft brewing industry, has released their list of the top 50 fastest growing craft breweries in America.

Per the BA, the list spans 27 states, covering breweries from 50 barrels annually, to 40,000 barrels. As far as growth, these breweries grew from less than 70,000 barrels collectively in 2017 to more than 170,000 barrels in 2018.

Topping the list is Lake Time Brewery in Clear Lake, Iowa, followed by Fins Big Oystery Brewery in Rehoboth, Delaware.

“Even as market competition continues to increase, these small and independent breweries and brewpubs demonstrate there are still growth opportunities across a diverse set of regions and business models,” Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association.

In total, these brewing companies represent nearly 10 percent of total craft brewery growth by volume for the year.  The list includes 13 brewpubs, 35 microbreweries, and two regional craft breweries. The full list can be found below (click to enlarge).

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Oskar Blues Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

Coffee double barrel-aged Oskar Blues JAHVanilla Ten Fidy debuts in April

Ten-Fidy has a pretty epic reputation in craft beer. This April, you are going to see it a whole new way, in the form of Oskar Blues JAHVanilla.

This edition of Ten-Fidy is a blend of bourbon barrel-aged stout and double bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, with HotBox Roasters cold brew coffee and Madagascar vanilla beans. The brewery aged it slightly until the flavors blended well. Last year’s release was not blended with the double-barrel.

“The blending of double-barrel aged FIDY and barrel-aged FIDY this year is pretty special. It adds to the complexity and depth of JAHvanilla. Then we hit it with premium vanilla and cold brew and the beer hulks out with flavor.” Tim Matthews, Head of Brewing Operations

Oskar Blues JAHvanilla Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy Imperial Stout will only available in the brewery’s Longmont, Colorado and Brevard, North Carolina taprooms on April 20th.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Vanilla Beans. Coffee.)
Availability: 19.2 Cans
Debut: 4/20/19

14.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Genesee Brewing Company, Headlines, Other Half Brewing

Genesee Cream Ale, meet Other Half Brewing

Cream Ale is a uniquely American style. Sure, the American IPA might be the envy of the world’s brewing community, but it didn’t start in the United States. Let’s talk about one of the most well-known – Genesee Cream Ale.  First introduced in 1960, “Genny Cream” might be the most recognizable for the style out there.

Here’s something you didn’t expect. A dry-hopped edition the decades-old cream ale, a collaboration with New York’s Other Half Brewing.

Other Half’s fame was born in New York City. As far as we know, the lines for Other Half beers are pretty much a standard, 24 hours a day. The brewery is in the process of opening a new 20-line taproom in Rochester, New York and ahead of they have teamed up with Genesee Brewery.

Cream Ale now has a sibling, Dream Ale. Using the classic Genesee Cream Ale recipe, the brewing teams added oats and dry-hopped it with a “massive dose” of Citra hops.

We are huge fans of the all-time NY classic Cream Ale and couldn’t imagine a better way to pay respect to the historic brewing traditions of Rochester while putting an OH twist on an all-time favorite recipe. – Other Half Brewing

Genesee Dream Ale will be available in 16-ounce cans at the Genesee Brewery on Friday, March 22nd starting at 11 am.

Style: Cream Ale
Hops: Citra

Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited (170 Cases)
Debut: 3/22/19

4.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Duclaw Brewing, Headlines

DuClaw releases donut inspired “Unicorn Farts” glitter beer this weekend

When Beer Street Journal started 11 years ago, big, bitter imperial India pale ales and adjunct-free barrel-aged imperial stouts were all the rage. It’s 2019 we are a long way from there. A LONG way.

Growing up my sister had a Trapper Keeper with sparkly unicorns on it. She loved it so much she would hide it under her bed at night until she went to school the next day. Today, I’m reminded of that beloved binder, not because I’m reminiscing. Nope. It’s because I’m writing about a freaking beer. Two things I never thought would go together. Take second and meet Duclaw Sour Me Unicorn Farts.

The inspiration for this release comes from nearby, self-described  “Local as fu#k” Diablo Doughnuts, who makes a pastry called the “Unicorn Fart”. It’s a white frosted donut topped with Fruity Pebbles cereal, plus more frosting. Why the fu#k not?

So how do you make a beer inspired by this colorful plate of high blood sugar? Fruit and glitter. Handfuls and handfuls of edible glitter.

Somewhere the ridiculously creative American brewing landscape, a craft brewer found a way to combine beer and glitter. The result looks something like those squishy balls that kids get out grocery store vending machines. You don’t have to understand it. You just have to know it happened. When making a beer called “Unicorn Farts” it better damn well have glitter in it. Period.

I’m making a pretty safe assumption here. The donut that inspires this pretty freaking sweet and sugary. Knowing this, DuClaw Brewing made this beer sour to offset the circular blast of sugar. In the end, Sour Me Unicorn Farts is a tart beer, with glitter and Fruity Pebble-like fruit additions. The first beer fart we’ve ever actually wanted is here.

The first cans of DuClaw Sour Me Unicorn Farts will be available on Saturday, March 16th at the brewery in Baltimore. A portion of proceeds from the launch event for this beer will benefit The Pride Center of Maryland.

Expect distribution of this Trapper Keeper beer to start in April.

Style: Sour Ale (w/ Fruit. Edible Glitter.)
Availability: 16oz Cans
Debut: 3/16/19

?? ABV

Image: DuClaw Brewing

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines

Brewer’s Association releases Top 50 Craft Breweries in volume for 2018

The Brewer’s Association has released its annual list of the top 50 craft breweries (in sales volume) in 2018. Yuengling remains #1 for another year.

Following Yuengling is Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Duvel Moortgat (which own Firestone Walker, Ommegang and Boulevard), overtaking Gambrinus who previously held the 5th spot in years past.

While the Brewer’s Association “tweaks” the definition of a craft brewer every so often, below is the definition used for the 2018 compilation:

  • Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships.
  • Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.
  • Brewer: Has a TTB Brewer’s Notice and makes beer.

All figures are based on companies that met the craft brewer definition for all or part of 2018.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in SweetWater Brewing, Headlines, New Releases

SweetWater’s 2nd weed beer “Mango Kush” debuts this month

SweetWater Mango Kush Wheat Ale debuts this month, the second edition in the weed-inspired “420 Strain” Series. 

Hops and marijuana have some biological similarities. That’s why you hear the descriptor “dank” thrown around so often with India pale ales. Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing decided last year to go all-in on that very smell and released 420 Strain: G13 IPA. The “G13” dates back to a government strain of weed created in the 1970s. If you haven’t tried it, you should. The brewery killed it with this release. It smells like weed and is a solid IPA to boot. G13 has a new bragging right at the brewery, since launch it has become the brewery’s second best-selling beer, behind 420 Pale Ale.

The brewery had always intended to make this a full series of “420 Strain” beers and this month, the second iteration has arrived – Mango Kush Wheat Ale.

This fruity “kush” strain features herbal, juicy notes of mango, finishing with the “dank” nose that the 420 Strain Series is now known to give.

This dank series uses strain specific terpenes (flavor molecules) plus organic hemp flavors to mimic real marijuana strain smells. These beers are 100% legal everywhere and contain zero psychotropic compounds, like THC.

SweetWater Mango Kush Wheat Ale can be found at the brewery as early as this week, with 12-ounce bottles arriving later this month.

Style: Wheat Ale (w/ Mango)
Hops: Nuggetzilla, El Dorado
Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Flaked Oats

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: Early March 2019

5% ABV, 30 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay